Message from Dr. Smith
Hello Bruin Families,
This past week, we witnessed history with the Inauguration of the 46th President and the first Black and South Asian American woman Vice President. This year, FCPS and Lake Braddock remain committed to the work of Equity and creating a more welcoming and inclusive school community. As we continue to keep equity at the center of everything that we do, we wanted to share a resource from the National PTA from their podcast series Notes from the Backpack. This particular website has their podcast episode titled Raising Kids Who Embrace Race along with multiple resources that help discuss race with your students.
pta.org/center-for-family-engagement/notes-from-the-backpack/raising-kids-who-embrace-race
Next week begins a new quarter and the 2nd semester and Monday is a student holiday. On Tuesday, some middle school students may have a new schedule. Please have students check SIS for new teachers they might have and check their fcpsschools.net email for links only for those new teachers. If the student is not able to locate the links for those new teachers, they should email the teacher.
The School Board met Thursday and discussed the new plan for students phasing in to in-person instruction and there were tentative dates shown. As this plan is finalized, we will be sharing more information with you all.
As we begin this second semester, please know that we are here to support you and your students. Please don't hesitate to reach out to your student's teachers, counselor or Subschool administrator.
United as Bruins,
Daniel W. Smith, Ed.D.
In this Issue
Important Information for All
PTA Reflections Program Winners
Updates on Grading
Kindness Notes
Academic Advising
LB Athletics Streaming on YouTube
Optional Virginia Early Childhood Family Survey
Mental Health Services
LBSS Online Book Store
High School Information
Student Parking
Class of 2021 Caps and Gowns
Middle School Information
Rising 9th Grade Course Selection
TJHSST Application Process
TDAP Vaccine Reminder
Middle School Spelling Bee
Middle School-After School Program
Parent Academy
FCPS Information
FCPS Tech Support
FCPS Mental Health Resources
Important LBSS Contact Information
Attendance Procedures
How to Stay In Touch
Important Information for All
PTA Reflections Program Winners
Congratulations to the following LB Students who were named award winners in the Fairfax County Council of PTAs' National PTA Reflections program for 2020-2021 themed "I Matter Because...":
Outstanding Interpretation Award
Literature Special Artist Division, Charles Nguyen, "Kaleidoscope"
Music Composition Special Artist Division, Jake Sizemore, "I Matter For Me"
Photography Special Artist Division, Charles Nguyen, "Perseverance"
Visual Arts Special Artist Division, Ashley Groves, "In the Time of Covid"
Award of Excellence
Photography High School Division, Eloise Shirley, "Time for Renewal"
Updates on Grading
As the first semester comes to a close, we want to remind you of the revised FCPS and LBSS grading policies. The revised LBSS grading policy can be viewed on our website. Summary of the revisions include:
- 50% is the lowest grade on a 100-point scale that can be entered into SIS. Teachers using a four point grading scale are not impacted by this policy because this grading scale is already equally distributed.
- Major assignments and assessments are to be accepted at any point during the quarter with a maximum penalty of 10% after the teacher designated deadline. A final due date to submit any late assignment of one week before the end of quarter may be made by the collaborative team.
- The maximum weight of any one assignment and assessment is set at 20%.
- For major assessments as defined in the course syllabus, at least one new opportunity to demonstrate proficiency shall be provided to any student who completes the initial assessment starting second semester. In this case, the highest grade that can be earned on the retake is 100%. Students will need to demonstrate that they have done the necessary preparation to be offered the opportunity on a second chance assessment. Preparation and readiness will be defined by the collaborative team.
- The minimum number of assignments per quarter is 6. The Lake Braddock SS policy of 18 maximum number of assignments per quarter will remain moving forward. Some of our Collaborative Teams use Standards Based Grading and enter multiple grades into the gradebook for one assignment by standard; therefore, this policy does not apply to Standards Based Grading as one assignment can have multiple grades.
Any teacher/collaborative team specific information will be communicated through the teacher. Please contact your child’s teacher for any course specific grading information.
Kindness Notes
The LB Middle School Bruins in Action and the LB Philanthropy Club are inviting you to participate in Lake Braddock’s first ever Valentine’s Day Kindness Cards Shower! The event will run from Mon. Feb. 1 to Fri. Feb. 26.
How To Participate: Develop uniquely written and designed cards or letters with heartfelt Valentine’s Day messages to senior citizens who are currently residing in one of our Burke community area nursing facilities -- Burke Health and Rehabilitation Center or Heatherwood Retirement Community. The cards or notes should be handwritten and addressed to either of these facilities.
Why Participate? Because of COVID, visitors are severely restricted or prevented from visiting nursing facilities. Therefore, a long-distance hug with a heartfelt letter or card to seniors will let them know that you’re thinking of them. In fact, develop as many cards or letters as you can!
Where To Bring Your Cards: Drop your cards or notes off inside Door 1 at LB from 8:00 a.m. 4:00 p.m. There will be two seperate boxes for the two nursing facilities - try to spread your work out evenly and share the love!
What should you know before you write your letters or cards?
- Write it by hand if you can. • Make it neat. • Make it personal. • Don’t write the date. • Start with “Dear Friend.”
- Let your reader know that you are a Lake Braddock student and why you’re writing. • Avoid religion and personal views
- Sign your first name. While it’s important that this letter or card come from you, don’t share more personal information (like your last name, home address, or phone number)—if the reader knows your first name and that you’re a Lake Braddock student, that’s more than enough.
For Information about receiving service hours credit: HS students contact Mrs. Williams at lhwilliams@fcps.edu and MS students contact your Social Studies Teacher!
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Academic Advising
Academic Advising is in full swing! Counselors have been meeting with students to review course offerings and will begin meeting with students individually over the next few weeks. Make sure you have taken the time to explore our Curriculum Fair sites and spoken to your students about the courses they would like to take next year. Students will be entering courses directly in their StudentVue account; students should be using the course selection sheet as a guide to make sure they are entering the correct course codes! Start HERE to access our Academic Advising materials. Remember, you will need an fcpsschools.net account to access the Curriculum Fair sites.
LB Athletics Streaming on YouTube
Help Lake Braddock Athletics get 1K+ YouTube subscribers! We currently have 400+, but need 1,000+ subscribers to unlock settings to use a mobile device to stream. This will allow us to stream even more events simultaneously. Please use the link below to subscribe and then share with others.
https://www.youtube.com/c/LakeBraddockAthleticLeadershipBroadcasting
Optional Virginia Early Childhood Family Survey
VDOE, UVA, and the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF) want to learn about Virginia families’ experiences with the care and/or education for their young children (birth through kindergarten) this year. The Virginia Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDBB5) study wants to reach as many Virginia families as possible to better understand the experiences and challenges of families with young children in Virginia. Parents of young children are invited to participate in this study by completing a voluntary and anonymous survey available at vafamilysurvey.info.
Mental Health Services
Ongoing challenges of COVID-19 and school closures continue to have a significant impact on children’s mental health. As an example, according to the CDC, from April to October 2020, the proportion of mental health-related emergency room visits for children aged 5-11 and 12-17 years increased approximately 24% and 31%, respectively, compared with 2019. Healthy Minds Fairfax has created the following flyer to help families navigate the world of mental health.
LBSS Online Book Store
The LBSS Library is hosting an online bookstore through Bookworm Central that will continue throughout the entire year. Students and teachers can purchase books and have them delivered to their house. Purchases over $30 will be delivered for free. Stock up for the holidays and support the library.
The Online Library Book Store opened December 7. Please enjoy this promotional video HERE.
Contact the LBSSLibrary@fcps.edu with any questions.
Thank you, Lake Braddock SS Librarians
High School Information
Student Parking
Due to the current circumstances, we will be doing student parking a little bit differently this year. Our number one goal with this is to provide a safe, accessible, and equitable system for student drivers here at Lake Braddock. Here are some quick facts about this year’s process:
- There will be no parking fees this year.
- We will be doing “open parking” in the student parking lot this year. Students will not be assigned specific, numbered spots (unless you paid to decorate a parking spot).
- Parking privilege will be selected by lottery. We will begin with Senior applications and, if spots remain, will move to Junior applications. If after this, there are still spots remaining, we will look at Sophomore applications.
- Students will need to complete the following form: Parking Lottery Form. Students must be logged into their fcpsschools.net account to access the form.
- The deadline for submission of the form is Friday, February 5.
If you have any specific questions regarding this process, please feel free to reach out to Mr. Ken May, Security Specialist (kpmay@fcps.edu) or Mr. Tony DiBari, Assistant Principal (asdibari@fcps.edu).
Class of 2021 Caps and Gowns
We are in the process of planning a meaningful graduation experience for the Class of 2021 to the greatest extent possible given the current situation with COVID-19. We are considering many options to celebrate this momentous occasion.
We are ordering our caps and gowns and we need your help and gentle encouragement. We need each senior to complete the cap and gown survey to ensure we have the appropriate cap and gown size for everyone. Please ask your graduate if they have completed the survey. If they have not, please ask them to click on the following link to give us their student id, height and weight. Students can access this link by signing in with their fcpsschools.net account.
https://forms.gle/6UDWVtj844aqQyZc9
Thank you for your attention to this matter and we look forward to recognizing and celebrating the Class of 2021.
Middle School Information
Rising 9th Grade Course Selection
Middle School and High School Counselors will be available to answer any course selection questions your student may have. Please use this guest link to access the Middle School Student Services Office: https://us.bbcollab.com/guest/d3e2fc5f49f143dbae0ea3e57819e424
Please note – Middle School Counselors will continue to meet with each student individually as part of academic advising. Office hours are optional.
TJHSST Application Process
For those who are interested, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (commonly referred to as "TJ") just released updated information about the application process. The application window will begin on February 1 at 8:00 am and close on February 26 at 4:00 pm. There are two parts to begin the application: (1) Students must login and enter some basic information including parent email, and (2) Parent must login to their own account to submit the application after your student's counselor has verified that they meet the prerequisite course requirements.
Here are important links that you will need:
- Eligibility Requirements: https://www.fcps.edu/registration/thomas-jefferson-admissions/eligibility-requirements
- TJ Freshman Application Process: https://www.fcps.edu/registration/thomas-jefferson-high-school-science-and-technology-admissions/freshman-winter
There is still information that is yet to be released, but this should help you to get started with the application.
TDAP Vaccine Reminder
The Code of Virginia requirements for immunizations and physicals for school entry have not been waived for School Year (SY) 2020-2021.
Students will not be permitted to access face-to-face instruction without meeting all compliance requirements. For students who are conditionally enrolled and have not completed the necessary immunizations as required by the Code of Virginia, FCPS will provide provisional access to virtual learning only. Students may not participate in “in school” instruction and activities until meeting this requirement.
For questions about immunization requirements for your child, or to send proof of your child’s Tdap vaccination, please contact Angela Santizo at 703-426-1030 or assantizo@fcps.edu.
Middle School Spelling Bee
Lake Braddock Middle School is registered for the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee, but first students must compete at the school level in order to move on to higher rounds of spelling bees.
- Date: February 8, 2021 (tentative)
- Lake Braddock will host an in-house virtual spelling bee, in which students can participate for the chance to qualify for the 2021 Fairfax County Spelling Bee where the winner will move on to compete at the 2021 National Scripps Spelling Bee in June.
- Please complete this interest form for more information on registration: https://forms.gle/2S2ws4rKChnF7c5t8
Middle School After-School Program: Bruins Stay Virtual
Visit here for an up-to-date list of afterschool offerings at Lake Braddock: https://lakebraddockss.fcps.edu/student-life-activities/club-activity-descriptions
If students are interested in participating in the middle school after-school program:
- Complete the student interest form: https://forms.gle/7FL8qVvW3oSfVTxU8
- Parents/guardians should complete the parent permission form: https://forms.gle/Z5CZnfmkoNAfR1Ea8
Questions to After-School Specialist, Jamaal Hines, jlhines@fcps.edu
Parent Academy
See our Website for more information about Parent Academy events.
Upcoming Parent Academy Events
The Teenage Brain, Drug Trends, and Parent Tips Series
Provided by The Office of Student Safety and Wellness
Have you ever wanted to learn more about your teenager's brain and how it relates to substance use? Register today for a three-part series about the teenage brain, adolescence, and the effects of drug and alcohol on the teenage brain.
Session #3: Drug Trends in Teens: Identifying Common Household Substances and Drug Culture January 26 @ 7pm
Questions? Email jlgiffin@fcps.edu
Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdPm5iK0OfoXRQLympzzuFAXUGsm68Z3iJ4bdgimnGXfsQ6DQ/viewform
Building Resiliency in the Time of COVID
- January 28, 2021 at 6:30 PM
- Hosted by LBSS Student Services and Principal’s Cabinet Mental Health Group
Questions? Contact Ms. Janene Pack at jpack@fcps.edu
Register by January 27th here - https://forms.gle/8BHLLE1wRStbtxbu7
FCPS Information
FCPS Tech Support
If you find your student in need of tech support for their school-issued laptop, please to go FCPS Technology Support. There are a number of tips, suggestions, and links for assistance. If you are not able to solve the problem, please submit an IT request online. This request will be routed to Lake Braddock's IT team, who will get in contact with you and/or your student to solve the issue. Please do not submit multiple requests or call the school office directly.
Please keep a close eye on your email. This is how our IT department will communicate with you and your student. The email will come from FCPS and will have a subject line beginning with INC followed by a number. Please also give one to two school days for a response.
FCPS Mental Health Resources
Important LBSS Contact Information
Attendance Procedures
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Monday attendance form: Students must complete the required attendance form between 8:00 and 10:00 am each Monday to be counted as present. Students need to be signed in to their FCPS Google accounts to complete the form. Your child’s 4th period Advisory teachers will remind them and post the same link every week. Please encourage and remind your child to complete the form EVERY Monday morning.
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Reporting absences, late arrivals, and early dismissals: Use the following form to report absences, late arrivals and early dismissal: https://lakebraddockss.fcps.edu/about/attendance. You can also call the subschool attendance phone numbers shown below:
How to Stay In Touch
Please stay in touch with us throughout the year by:
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